Plastic container



' Nov. 28, 1967 E. G. RITTER PLASTIC CONTAINER Filed Oct. 5, 1966 INVENTOR.

Ernst G. Rifler BY fiw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,355,061 PLASTIC CONTAINER Ernst G. Ritter, Webster, N.Y., assignor to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 583,564 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel film container for protecting exposed film stored therein during transit. The container has a pair of axially spaced apart grooves which are adapted to sequentially engage the beaded leading edge of a cap as the cap is inserted on the container whereby the cap is restrained from moving and the beaded edge engaged with the second of the grooves by a shoulder on the container. In this position a depending wall withm the cap is aligned with the cylinder to form a light isolation barrier within the container.

This invention relates to a protective storage container for camera film, and in particular to a container designed to secure such film against damage while in a mailer or otherwise in transit from the consumer-user to a processordeveloper.

As known in the art, after camera film, such as 35 mm., is exposed by the consumer-user, the film, whether it remains in the cartridge or otherwise, is usually mailed to a film processor for development. Heretofore the mailer container was made of a light weight metal and ineluded a screw-on cap for enclosing the container body. Essentially, such container served to secure the film in transit against damage and also served as an additional isolating light shield.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a container for protecting exposed film stored therein during transit, for example, to a processor for development, wherein said container includes a removably attachable snap-on cap designed for manual removal and snap-on attachment; and further, wherein said container is an excellent light isolation shield with regards to the stored film.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a film container as contemplated herein having reliable snap-on attachment means and, in addition, safety attachment means to prevent accidental and inadvertent detachment of the container cover from the container body while the film stored therein is in transmit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved film container for protecting film in transit characterized by reliability and economy with regard to its use and fabrication.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a container comprising a cap and a body in accordance with the principles of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the container with the cap and body in attached status.

Reference is made to the figures for an embodiment of a film cartridge container in accordance with the invention claimed herein. Container 10 has a cylindricalshaped body 11 and a complementary shaped cap 12. Both body 11 and cap 12 are preferably molded elements made of flexible and resilient plastic, such as polyethylene. Body 11 is open-ended and has an enclosing fiat bottom wall 13 and a peripheral cylindrical side wall 14 upstanding from bottom wall 13, thereby forming a lengthwise interior 15 for storing a film cartridge 9 therein. Film cartridge 9 is shown in dashed outline. The upper end of the exterior surface of side wall 14 has an annular tapered portion 16 next adjacent the body open end. The tapered surface of portion 16 progressively increases outwardly as a function of lengthwise distance from the body open end. The outer tapered surface of portion 16 terminates with a cylindrical collar-like body portion 17 extending to an annular shoulder 20. The cylindrical body portion 17 has in its surface a pair of axially spaced annular grooves 18 and 19, the former being spaced a short distance below the tapered portion 16, and the latter disposed adjacent the shoulder 20. Shoulder 20 forms a limit stop for a beaded edge carried by cap 12 upon inserting cap 12 on body 11.

Cap 12 is open-ended and is designed to enclose the body open end so as to protect the film cartridge 9 housed in container 10. It will be understood that the interior of the assembled cap 12 and body 11 is such that the film cartridge fits snugly therein. Cap 12 includes a suitably shaped top wall 21 confronting the cap open end and also has a peripheral side wall 22 depending from top wall 21 for forming a lengthwise cap interior for receiving the open end of body 11. Cap side wall 22 has an annular inwandly turned and flexible beaded edge 23 at its open lower end. Upon manually inserting cap 12 on body 11, cap edge 23 slides over and along the upper tapered and cylindrical portions 16 and 17 of the body exterior surface until beaded edge 23 first snap-fits into groove 18, and on further insertion, slides along cylindrical portion 17 below groove 18 until the beaded edge snap-fits into groove 19 at the shoulder 20. The outwardly extending surface of tapered portion 16 and cylindrical surface 17 spread cap beaded edge 23 during the insertion. Shoulder 20 serves as a limit stop for cap beaded edge 23 upon inserting cap 12 on body 11.

Cap 12 has an annular internal wall 24 depending from its top wall 21 and spaced radially within cap peripheral Wall 22 for defining therewith an interior annular cap recess 25 substantially aligned with body tapered portion 16 when cap 12 is seated on body 11. Cap recess 25 and body portions 16 and 17 preferably have relative dimensions so that these portions enter into a sliding fit with annular wall 24 and the inner surface of cap side wall 22 within annular recess 25 upon snap-fitting cap 12 on body 11. The foregoing aligned relationship provides an improved light isolation regarding the film stored in enclosed container 10.

It will be understood that the container dimensions are suitably selected whereby film cartridge '9 is securely stored upon mailing container 10 with cartridge 9 therein. The upper end of the cartridge 9 extends into the cap interior so that upon manual removal of cap 12, the upper end of cartridge 9 protrudes outwardly from body 11 thereby allowing one to grip same for removal.

Should at any time the mounted cap 12 improperly lift from its snap engaged status, and thus tend to detach from body 11, groove 18 serves as a safety-catch to prevent such detachment. As cap 12 lifts, its beaded edge 23 snaps out of groove 17 and slides over and along collar-like portion 17 and then snaps into groove 18. For inadvertent detachment, the action is normally slow enough to allow beaded edge 23 to snap into groove 18. In addition, it will be understood that groove 18 offers a second advantage. Groove 18 also provides stress relief along body peripheral Wall 14 and thus sufiicient flexibility therealong as can beaded edge 23 slidably traverses body portions 16 and 17 when manually mounting cap 12 on body 11 and when manually withdrawing cap 12 from body 11. The upper edge of cap 12 is knurled at 26 to provide an improved grip surface for manually inserting same on body 11 and for withdrawing the cap therefrom.

As illustrated, the exterior surface outside diameter for collar portion 17 can be substantially equal in size, but is preferably less in size than the outside diameter of the body exterior surface at shoulder 20. These relative sizes afford the coaction of the parts so as to achieve the snapon, safety-catch and limit stop operations previously described.

It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A cartridge film protective container of the type having a cylindrical open ended body, said open ended body having an enclosed bottom wall confronting its open end and a peripheral side wall upstanding from said bottom wall for forming a lengthwise interior for storing said film and a removable open ended cap, said cap having a closed top wall confronting its open end and a peripheral side wall depending from said top wall for forming a lengthwise cap interior for receiving the open end of said body wherein the improvement comprises,

a tapered portion next adjacent said open end of the interior surface of said side wall of said body, said tapered surface progressively increasing outwardly as a function of lengthwise distance of said open end and having a continuing cylindrical surface extending from its lower end,

a first groove recessed in said cylindrical surface next adjacent and spaced below said lower end of said tapered surface,

a second groove recessed in said cylindrical surface axially spaced below said first groove along said cylindrical surface,

a shoulder projecting outwardly from said body exterior surface next adjacent and below said second groove and forming a limit stop for said cap upon inserting said cap on said body,

said cap side wall having a flexible bea-ded edge at its open end, and

an internal wall depending from said cap top wall and spaced within said cap peripheral wall for definin therewith a cap recess, whereby manual insertion of said cap on said body causes said beaded edge to slide over and along said tapered portion and said cylindrical surface until said beaded edge snap fits into said first groove and on further insertion said beaded edge slides along said cylindrical surface below said first groove until said beaded edge snap fits into said second groove against said shoulder, and said body tapered portion slides into said cap recess thereby providing improved light isolation of the film stored in said container, and said first groove provides a safety catch snap fit engagement with said cap beaded edge when said cap is improperly lifted and detached from said second groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,134,427 4/1915 Ullrich.

2,737,312 3/1955 Hamlon 220-385 2,849,144 8/1958 Southwell 220- X 2,944,273 7/1960 Harris 220-60 X 3,113,693 12/1963 Stoll 220-60 3,123,205 3/1964 Ehrsam 220-60 X 3,133,662 5/1964 Seidler 220-42 MARTHA IL. RICE, Primary Examiner.

a LOUIS G. MANCENE, Examiner; 

